Is Sex Exercise?

And is it hard on the heart? Here are your answers…

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At some time in his life, nearly every man gets worked up about sex. And as many men get older, they wonder if sex is a good form of exercise or if it’s too strenuous for the heart. These questions may sound like locker room banter, but they are actually quite important – and they now have solid scientific answers.

During sexual intercourse, a man’s heart rate rarely gets above 130 beats a minute, and his systolic blood pressure nearly always stays under 170. Average sexual activity ranks as mild to moderate in terms of exercise intensity.

Sex as Exercise

Men seem to spend more energy thinking and talking about sex than on the act itself. During sexual intercourse, a man’s heart rate rarely gets above 130 beats a minute, and his systolic blood pressure (the higher number, recorded when the heart is pumping blood) nearly always stays under 170. All in all, average sexual activity ranks as mild to moderate in terms of exercise intensity. Sex burns about five calories a minute; that’s four more than a man uses watching TV, but it’s about the same as walking the course to play golf. If a man can walk up two or three flights of stairs without difficulty, he should be in shape for sex.